Remembering
by majinbuttercup
Summary: Aelita experiences something unfamiliar but not unpleasant. She thinks it is something she should remember. Timeline: After Aelita starts getting her memories back and they know she's human, pre-William possession. Yuri-Lime. One Shot. Complete.


Remembering

**Remembering**

**By: Majinbuttercup**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Code: Lyoko or any of these characters. No money is being made off of this, nor is any intended. _

_Pairings: None, although there is the possibility of futures for almost any pairing imaginable. _

_Warning: Yuri Lime. Characters not quite in character. Lots of dialogue and not a lot of detail. Long. One – shot. A few lines showed up as I was writing this that were not ones I put in and I couldn't get rid of them, no matter what I tried. I'm not sure where they came from. I don't know if they'll show up when I post this, but if they do, and it makes it kind of confusing having a line that doesn't belong in the middle of a scene, I apologize. I tried to make lines that would actually show up between scenes. Hopefully they're still there to make it easier to understand. _

_Rated: M._

_Comments and critiques welcome. I hope you enjoy!_

"I love pancakes. Pancakes, ham steak, eggs, toast, hash browns, bananas. What a wonderful breakfast. Just the way to start the day! I've gotta go get seconds from Rosa."

"Odd, didn't you already have seconds?"

"Oh yeah. Hey, Einstein, will you go get seconds for me?"

"Odd, you've had enough to eat."

"But I'm still hungry. Okay, will you at least go get some more ham? I have to go get some more food for Kiwi this afternoon after lunch, 'cause I ran out last night. But I can't exactly let him go hungry, can I? You wouldn't want poor defenseless Kiwi to starve to death, would you? He likes you. Do you want his death on your hands?"

"Fine, I'll get some ham for Kiwi."

"And some more pancakes for me?"

"Odd!"

"Okay, okay."

"Hey guys."

"Hey Yumi."

"Hey, can I have your banana Ulrich? I overslept and didn't have time for breakfast this morning."

"Sure thing Yumi."

"Thanks." Yumi looked around and noticed someone was missing. "Hey, where's Aelita?"

Jeremie walked up carrying a brown paper bag. "I don't know, I tried her phone and she didn't answer. Odd, Kiwi's breakfast."

"Thanks, Einstein. Maybe she just forgot to set her alarm clock last night. I'll go wake her up. I have to go give Kiwi his ham anyways."

"Thanks Odd."

"No problem." With that, Odd, in a burst of energy, rushed out of the room.

--

"Oof." Crash.

"Della Robia, what are you doing? The dormitories are strictly forbidden to all students between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM! Where do you think you're going?"

"Sorry Jim, I forgot my History book in my room and I have an exam after lunch, so I have to go get it! Nothing like a little last minute cramming to help you pass the test!"

"Well, actually, cramming's not good for your score, but, in your case, I guess it couldn't hurt. Carry on, but you had better hurry up. It's almost time for class, and we're running the mile today, so I expect you to be there!"

"We're running the mile? Right after breakfast?"

"Get moving Della Robia! Hey! Wait! What's in that bag?"

"Nothing Jim, just some, uhh, CDs I borrowed from Yumi! Yeah, that's it! CDs from Yumi! Gotta go!"

--

Knock, knock. "Aelita? Aelita? Are you ready to go?"

"No, please no!"

"Aelita!" With that, Odd opened her door, to find Aelita still in bed, thrashing and crying. He walked over to her bed and sat down, lightly shaking her. "Aelita! It's okay! Wake up!"

"Odd?" She blinked as she continued to wake up. "Odd! I was so frightened!" She threw her arms around his neck and began to cry.

"Aelita? Hey Princess, it's okay. It was just a dream, and dreams aren't real. They're just your mind playing tricks on you. Shh, it's okay."

"Odd. Thank you for waking me up! I think it was another memory. I was on Lyoko and I felt so alone! My father hadn't talked to me in a very long time, and the last time I had gotten bored and wandered out of the tower, even though my father told me not to, I had been hit by a bunch of monsters. I probably made it back to the tower just in time to not be devirtualized. I was all alone! For so long!" Tears continued pouring down her cheeks, wetting Odd's shoulder where they landed. Odd rubbed her back, slowly, trying to calm her down.

"Are you okay now?" he asked as her sobs began to subside.

"I think so. I just hate being so afraid all of the time."

"Hey, it's okay. You've been through a lot." Subconsciously, Odd's body had been noticing her closeness, and the way her nipples had hardened, obvious between the thin materials of their respective t-shirts. But, as her tears subsided into sniffles, he began to notice things more consciously, such as the fact that her hair had some fruity scent that he couldn't place, or that she wasn't wearing shorts under her nightshirt, and that her blanket had been pushed far enough back that she could see much of her recently shaved legs, including a band-aid on her upper thigh where she had no doubt cut herself. He also began to notice that his gym shorts were becoming uncomfortably tight. 'Why did gym class have to be first today? Any other day, and I'd be wearing thick, baggy pants, and a sweater with another shirt underneath. I'd be wearing so much clothing I wouldn't be able to feel a thing!' Deciding it best to try to hide his discomfort from Aelita, he kissed her forehead and began to scoot away. "Hey, Princess. I'll go wait in the hallway while you get ready. I want to show you something that might help you out."

"Okay Odd. I guess you're right; it's just a silly dream. I need to get ready for the day." Odd dropped his hands and got ready to stand up. "No, wait!" With that, she threw her arms around his neck once more. "One more hug!" She sniffled a few more times and Odd merely held her.

"Hey, Princess," and Odd cleared his throat, "I really should let you get ready."

"Okay." With that she let her hands drop. "Oh!"

"What is it? Are you okay?"

"I don't know. It's very strange. I feel . . . something. I don't know how to describe it. It's very unusual. It's not unpleasant, it's just, unfamiliar. It's like, I want something, to happen, but I'm not sure what. It seems like something I should understand, like a memory which I haven't quite regained. I can't really explain it. I can't stop it. I don't know if I want to stop it. It's like, an urge? Maybe? I didn't notice it at first because I was so frightened, but, it's there. I want something, but I can't figure out what it is. Does that make any sense to you? Odd?"

Odd's eyes had widened as she explained what was happening. Taking a deep breath, he stated, "Yes, Princess. I have a pretty good idea what's going on."

"What, Odd? Tell me!"

"It's not really my place, Aelita."

"What do you mean? I thought you always said you'd answer any of my questions."

"If what's happening to you is what I think is happening to you, you should talk about it with Yumi."

"Yumi? Why? What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing, Princess. It's perfectly normal. It's nothing to be afraid of, it's, just, not something you should talk to a guy about."

"Why?"

"It's just, not proper."

"Not proper?'" Aelita snorted, "Odd Della Robia! When have you ever been one to care about propriety?"

"Most of the time, Princess, I couldn't give a rat's ass about propriety. But with something like this… Anyway, like I said, talk to Yumi. If, after you talk to Yumi, you still want to talk to me about it, well, then we'll talk about it. But, not before. Now, get ready for school, and I'll wait for you in the hall."

"All right. I just wish I knew what happened to me."

"It'll all become clear once you talk to Yumi. Just, ask her alone, like in here after classes before she has to go home for the day. Most importantly, don't ask her about it in front of Jeremie."

"Why?"

"Never mind that. Just go ahead and get ready for school."

With that Odd went into the hallway and closed Aelita's door behind him. Leaning against the wall and taking a deep breath to calm his raging hormones, Odd muttered, "As long as Jeremie doesn't find out, I don't have to worry about him programming my Overboard to dump me into the Digital Sea."

--

"Odd, aren't you worried about skipping class?"

"Who wants to run the mile right after breakfast? Besides, what's the worst Jim can do to me? Give me a detention. Big deal! I've already had so many detentions that they don't faze me anymore. Besides, this is more important."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive, unless, you'd rather go to class. I don't want you to get in trouble, but I also don't think it's good for you to try running on an empty stomach."

"You're right. Besides, it might be fun for the two of us to keep each other company in detention. I've never had one before." With this comment a slight blush crept to her cheeks, and Odd had to clear his throat.

"Anyways, this is my favorite place in school, next to the cafeteria of course."

"Of course." Odd opened a door and Aelita looked around at all the strange things inside. "What is this place?"

"This is the Art Room. Don't worry; there aren't any classes in it until second period. I've skipped gym in here on more than one occasion. Usually I'm not the only one in here when they're supposed to be in another class. It's not like the Art teacher's gonna rat us out. We're creating! He usually stays in the staff room so he can pretend he had no knowledge of us using his empty classroom. Anyway, I thought it might make you feel better to get your emotions out on paper. It doesn't matter if you don't think you have any talent, all that matters are that you get your emotions out. This is an easel, and this is a canvas. These are paints, and these are chalk. This is charcoal. These are the things people use to put their feelings onto the canvas. People use other ways, but I think this is a good place for you to start."

"What should I do?"

"Whatever you want. Just pick up a brush, or a piece of chalk, and draw what comes to you. I'll take this canvas over here, and make one too. If you want to show it to me when you're finished, cool. If not, that's fine too. I have lots of stuff that I've drawn and painted that I've never shown to anyone."

"Not even whatever girlfriend you have at the time?"

"Especially whatever girlfriend I have at the time! What would happen if I was thinking about a movie star, or another girl from school, and she found out about it? Disaster; and no date for the weekend. No thanks. Besides, sometimes it's too personal. Anyway, enough about me. Let's see what you can do!"

Aelita thought for a moment, and picked up a piece of chalk. Hesitantly at first, she began to make some lines. Before long, her apron was covered with colored chalk, and she was scribbling furiously across the paper. She glanced over at Odd, and noticed his look of concentration as he worked on his painting. She had to suppress a giggle at how funny he looked, paying so much attention to something, when he normally looked so distracted when she saw him. "I'm finished Odd! Do you want to come look at it?"

"Sure Princess, if you want me to." He walked over, and smiled. Most of her drawing was a deep grey, but in the corner, there were yellowish rays, like the sun, and four silhouettes with arms outstretched, and a purple tail snaking behind one of them. In the corner, in bold pink chalk, she had signed it 'Aelita.'

"Wow, Princess! It's fantastic! Do you want to see my painting, before we get cleaned up for class?"

"Sure. Are you sure it's not too personal?"

"Of course not! It's for you! After it has a chance to dry, I'll frame it for you, and you can put it up in your room."

"You made a painting for me? Thank you!" With that, she hugged him again, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, before backing away, blushing. "I'll wait until the painting's ready to see it. It'll be a surprise! Thank you Odd!"

"Anytime, Princess. Why don't you leave your drawing here, and this afternoon, during Art, I'll have it sealed so you don't have to worry about the chalk rubbing off, okay?"

"Okay."

"Now, let's go get cleaned up, and I want to change out of my gym clothes before Math class. It starts pretty soon, and I know you don't want to miss that."

--

"Ahh, lunch time. One of my four favorite times of the day."

"Four? Just how often do you eat, Odd?" Jeremie asked.

"This guy would never leave the cafeteria if he didn't have to."

"That's not true Ulrich!"

"Please, I live with you. I've seen how much you eat."

Aelita said, "Besides, you're forgetting about his Art class."

"That's right. Thank you Aelita. I appreciate the support. Hey Yumi, are you gonna eat that?"

"Be my guest."

"Thanks, can't let good food go to waste, now can we?"

"By the way, Aelita, where were you this morning? You missed gym."

"I'm sorry Jeremie. I had a bad dream, and Odd took me to the Art room to help make me feel better."

"Oh, he did, did he? I wondered why you didn't show at Gym either, and why you showed up at math class late and wet."

"Can it, Ulrich! She drew a picture and I made a painting! I got some paint in my hair and decided to take a shower!"

"Sure, Romeo. I believe you. So where are these pictures?"

"The art classroom! What kind of person do you think I am? I may flirt a lot, but I'm not gonna steal someone else's girl!"

"Who says I'm anyone's girl?"

"Aelita. I, uhh. Well, I uhh."

"Okay, everyone, let's just calm down! Obviously, this morning was perfectly innocent, and Ulrich just needs to lay off! Aelita can do what she wants, when she wants, with whomever she wants. Now just leave them alone!"

"Yes, Yumi." Ulrich looked down at his tray, feeling ashamed.

"But, if you were upset, why didn't you just come see me, Aelita?"

"I'm sorry Jeremie. Odd was the one who woke me up, so he comforted me. I'm sure any one of you would have done the same thing. Well, not take me to the art room, but you all would have found some way to make me feel better. And that's why I appreciate each and every one of you. So much!" With that, her eyes became glassy with tears.

"Okay, too emotional for me. I'm off to my art class! See you in Biology Einstein! Princess, guys." With a wave of a hand, he turned around and left the room.

--

"I just don't understand why she wouldn't come to me if she was so upset."

"Don't worry about it Jeremie, it's like she said, Odd was there. And the same thing would have happened if it was Ulrich or I as well. Would you be so jealous then?"

"I guess not. I think it's just cause Odd flirts with her so much. And I know he had every reason to go back to the dorms so he could feed Kiwi, so he was the logical choice to check up on her, but still. I just can't help but think something happened while they were together this morning."

"What would happen? Odd said himself he wouldn't steal her away from you."

"But you heard Aelita, 'who said I'm anyone's girl?' And she's right. Besides a couple of quick kisses, holding hands a few times, and talking a lot, we haven't done anything. It's not like we've ever been on a date, or I've asked her to be my girlfriend, or anything."

"Well, maybe you should. It'd do you good to get out from behind your computer for a while."

"But what if XANA launches an attack? And we're in the middle of a movie, or at a restaurant?"

"Jeremie, you're worrying too much. Anyway, she and Ulrich are on their way over, now's your chance."

"Okay. Thanks Yumi. Hey Aelita! Hi Ulrich."

Oh, hi Jeremie. How are you?"

"Umm, I'm okay I guess. I just checked the scanner, and there were no activated towers."

"That's good. Um, Yumi, can I –"

"Hey, Princess! Here's your picture. The sealant's dry, and I picked up a frame for it while I was in town getting Kiwi some food."

"Thank you Odd. What about your painting?"

"The paint's still a little wet. Sometimes when I get excited about something I make the lines a bit thicker and so they take longer to dry. It will probably be done in the morning. I bought a really nice frame to go with it and some paper to wrap it with so it really will be a surprise when you open it. Now I'm glad you decided to wait to see it until it was ready."

"Well, I can't wait. My walls are awfully bare, and it will be nice to have things to hang on them."

"The picture you painted this morning was for Aelita?"

"Shut up, Ulrich. I wasn't planning it that way, it just happened. You know that when I'm working on something I usually don't have a plan, it just sort of happens. The way all the best art does."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Hey, Aelita? Can we see your picture?"

"Sure, I hope you like it." So she showed them all her picture. The silhouettes were essentially indistinguishable from one another and little more than shadows with the sun shining behind them, except for the one with the purple tail.

"That's great, Aelita! You can definitely tell which one's Odd."

With a slight blush, Aelita responded, "Thank you Ulrich. His tail is just so distinctive; I felt it needed to be there. As for the rest of you, I'm sure it will be easier for me to make you stand out as I get a bit more practice."

"Don't worry about it Aelita. It's just fine. Odd was right to take you there. We may just have a second artist in the group. Anyway, what were you saying?"

"Thank you Yumi. Can I talk to you about something? In my room?"

"Now?"

"Yes, I think now would be best. I've been a bit distracted today, and I don't want you to be late getting home, either."

"Okay. Well, we'll be going. See you later boys!"

"Bye, ladies! Have fun! Jeremie, do yourself a favor, if you need to get a hold of Aelita tonight, make sure you call her. Don't just go to her room. And it's probably best if it's nothing less than a XANA attack."

"Why? Do you know what's going on Odd? Tell me!"

"No."

"No?"

"Come on, Odd. Just tell him."

"I'm sorry Jeremie. It's not my place to tell you."

"Odd, tell me what happened!"

"Okay, and you do not tell Aelita I told you this, or you, Ulrich. Don't tell Yumi, 'cause I'm pretty sure she would find some creative way to destroy me. Anyway, Aelita asked me a very personal question this morning. I told her it was best for her to talk to Yumi about it."

"What kind of personal question?"

"It was kind of feminine. She didn't really understand, and I didn't feel it was my place to answer her."

"Is that all? Well, how long could it take to answer? What was the question?"

"How should I know how long it would take to answer her question? And I can't tell you what it was, because I will not betray Aelita's trust like that. Let's just leave it between the girls. Like I said, just don't bother them tonight. If Aelita wants to tell you, she'll tell you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go feed my dog and take him for a walk. I'll see you at dinner."

"Hey, I'm gonna go with him Jeremie. I'm his best friend, maybe he'll tell me what's going on. I'll see you later."

"See you." Jeremie sighed, "Figures, I finally get the courage to ask her out, and this happens."

--

"So."

"So what?"

"Don't give me 'so what?' So, what was Aelita's question? What happened this morning?"

"I can't tell you that Ulrich."

"Why not?"

"Because Aelita doesn't understand how important it is. And I don't want her to find out I told you, after she does. And I certainly don't want Jeremie to know."

"Why not?"

"My personal safety."

Ulrich gave a little snort, "You're not scared of Jeremie, are you? You could beat him to a bloody pulp with one hand tied behind your back."

"On Earth, maybe. On Lyoko, if he was mad enough, it's 'bye – bye best looking member of the group.'"

"The most humble as well." Ulrich rolled his eyes. "Anyway, tell me, and I promise I won't tell anyone. I mean, it's Aelita, it's not like it can be that big of a deal anyway. She exudes sweetness, and probably hasn't had an impure thought or done anything bad in her life, including before she was trapped on Lyoko."

"Well, I have wanted to talk to somebody about it. But if it gets out, from someone other than Aelita herself, I will personally hunt you down. And, since I know where you sleep, it won't be very hard."

"Okay, okay! I promise not to blab, blah, blah, blah! The suspense is killing me already!"

"Aelita was turned on this morning."

"What?"

"I mean, it probably wasn't me, it was probably just my manly physique!" With that he held up his arm in a fist as if showing off his muscles. "But seriously, it was probably just the emotions from the nightmare, and getting over being scared. Honestly, it might have happened if it was any of us, even Yumi. The problem is, she didn't understand it. She's sitting there, trying to analyze what's she's feeling, not really understanding what it is, or why. She was afraid there was something wrong. And she's asking me to explain it to her. She looked so confused and hurt when I told her I couldn't explain it. It wasn't my place. And besides, it's not like I know anything about girl's bodies."

Ulrich snorts. "Really?"

"Really! I may have dated a lot of girls, and I may have thought about a lot more girls, but it's not like I've actually done anything with any of them. I've held hands with and kissed some girls. I've sat next to them at movies going nuts over their perfume. That's it."

"But what about Yumi?"

"What about her? I may have been in her body, and I may have been tempted, but I did nothing to it. I respect and fear her too much. It was hard to control myself to keep from looking the first time her body had to go to the bathroom, and when I took a shower, but I did it. I did my best to keep soap and a wash cloth in between my hands and the rest of her body at all times. Let me tell you though, going to the bathroom as a girl was weird as hell. Anyway, I didn't do anything with her body that was inappropriate. So, I couldn't have answered her questions anyway. But how do you think Jeremie would feel to know that I turned her on and he didn't? You told me about how he moans her name in his sleep. He worships her. And until lunch today, I thought they were dating. Just not in an obvious, 'let's go make out under the staircase,' kind of way. So, I was scared too."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Did Aelita do anything to you?"

"She's a hot girl who was hugging me without a bra on, what do you think? It was hard enough to keep from kissing while she was crying, but when she was trying to understand feeling horny for the first time, I felt like I was gonna die. Luckily, I was feeling a bit better by the time she finished getting dressed. And by the time we got to the art room, I was fine. It was a little touch and go as she started to get excited while she was drawing, but I kept my cool."

"Do you think it meant anything? Like you want to go out with Aelita? Or she wants to go out with you?"

"Seriously Ulrich, I have no idea. I mean, Sissy annoys me to death and I can get turned on by her strutting by. And Yumi, wow! I mean, Aelita's way cooler than Sissy, but I don't know if it's just because she's a girl, or her herself. As for Yumi, we have almost nothing in common, so it has to be just because she's hot. As for Aelita, I have no way to know how her body reacts to stuff. I don't know how girls get turned on. I don't know what sets them off. That's why I had her talk to Yumi. I figure, once she actually knows what's happening, then, if she wants to, we can talk about it."

"You know, dude, that was much more profound and respectful than I would have realized you were capable of. It just goes to show you can learn something new every day."

"Well, Aelita's important to me. A lot more than Random Girlfriend Number Four. I don't want to hurt her. Anyway, we're being way too serious, and Kiwi's been scratching at the door for a while now whimpering to go out. Want to come with me to take him for a walk? We can play catch with him in the park."

"Okay."

"Great! Let's go, my little Diggity Dog! Oh, and Ulrich, like I said, not one word to Jeremie."

"I promise."

--

"So, Aelita. You've been acting nervous and scared ever since you asked me to come with you to your room. What's going on?"

"I'm not sure, Yumi. I felt. . . Odd, this morning."

"Odd as in, unusual odd, no wait, that comparison doesn't work. Let me start again. Odd as in the feeling odd, or odd as in our friend Odd?"

"What do you mean? Of course I mean the feeling. I felt, unusual. It was mildly familiar, like I should know what it was, but I didn't. Not quite. I can't really explain it."

"Okay. I'm going to need more information if I'm going to be able to tell you what happened."

"All right, Yumi." With that Aelita tucked some stray strands of hair behind her ears, straightened the sheets on her bed, which were still a tangled mess from waking up that morning, and she took her small pile of dirty clothes and dumped them unceremoniously into the overflowing laundry basket in her wardrobe next to the wall. She moved a few other odds and ends to their rightful places or into piles on her desk, rather than piles of junk on her floor. Finally, she set her oldest possession, Mr. Puck, into his rightful place, in a position of honor, overlooking the events of the room from his perch on the shelf over her bed. With that, she slumped onto her bed in a boneless heap, took a deep breath, and sat up, with her legs crossed underneath her to give Yumi room to sit down. Yumi set her bag down on the floor next to Aelita's bed and kicked off her boots before crossing them underneath her as well.

"Okay, Princess. Spill."

"Well, as you already know, I had a bad dream. Odd woke me up, and held me while I was crying. That helped a lot. As I calmed down, I felt strange. Like I said to Odd, it was like I wanted something to happen, but I'm not sure what. Odd wouldn't answer my questions. He always answers my questions. He answered me when Jeremie was too embarrassed to tell me what the strange growths were on his nose, and then helped me pick out some cream to get rid of them when I got some on my chin. He even helped me out when Sissy made some crack about my needing to shave."

"What?"

"Sissy told me I needed to shave. I'm sure I probably shaved before I went to Lyoko, because my legs weren't hairy while I was there, but, by the time I came back to earth, I had long since forgotten about it. A few days after I got here, Sissy said I needed to shave. Odd told me that males shave their faces, and females shave their legs and underarms. He even showed me what to do."

"Odd shaved your legs?"

"Of course not. He demonstrated, and then told me it was the same process, just not on my face."

"Odd shaves?"

"Actually, he had three hairs on his chin. He had been growing them out for months, and said he had been planning to show them off to Sam the next time she came into town to show her just how mature he was getting. It took one swipe to get rid of them all at once. I felt bad for laughing when he cut himself. But, he said it was okay. 'If they grew once, they'll grow again,' he said. Last week, he showed me that one of them had finally started coming back. He was so excited. I can tell he hates it when people say he's scrawny."

"Yeah, but, you gotta admit, he kinda is."

"Yes, but don't tell him I said so."

"Your secret's safe with me. Now, you were explaining what happened this morning."

"Thank you. Like I said Yumi, I was scared, and Odd was here. He was hugging me, I was crying, and then I realized that I felt very strange. I liked it, but I'm not really sure what it is. What's wrong with me?" With these words, tears started forming in the corners of her eyes, and she reached out to hug Yumi.

"Aelita, it's okay. Nothing's wrong with you." She held the smaller girl as she cried, and rubbed her fingers along the back of her hair, marveling at how dyed hair could stay so soft. She chose not to ask, knowing it was a question for another time. "What you felt was perfectly natural. Actually, I'm surprised you haven't felt it sooner. Like, when hanging out with Jeremie, all night working on some computer program or another. Maybe you did, it just was so unconscious you didn't notice it. That's probably more likely than the idea that you never felt it before today."

"What is it, Yumi?"

"Aelita, what do you know about sex?"

"That it's how children are born. Why?"

"Yeah, but do you know what it is? How children are born?"

"I'm not sure what you mean, so obviously I don't remember. My memories are coming back a bit more everyday, but I still don't have all of them back yet. Something as important as how children are born, I'm sure my father must have told me, I just don't remember."

"Do you know how male and female bodies differ?"

"Oh yes. I remember one time; I can't have been more than about four, when I walked in on my father using the restroom. It was entirely an accident, of course. I was still young, and had trouble waiting when I realized I needed to use the restroom, and so, I just walked in. He explained that boys and girls have different bodies, and that's how you know if you're a boy or a girl. And, now that we're older, I can see differences, like girls have breasts, and boys don't. And there are differences in the way some boys and girls act, although they aren't the same for everyone. Most boys, for example, would not wear purple, and yet it's Odd's favorite color. Most girls prefer cute things, and you prefer to be tough and roughhouse around with the boys. Things like that."

"That's very observant of you. Boys also experience a change in their vocal chords, and their voices drop as they get older. I know Ulrich was jealous when Jeremie's voice started changing before his, and I bet Odd was livid. But more than that, as they get older, people become capable of producing children. Regardless of whether they are emotionally ready, and often it's very physically dangerous at such a young age to do so, but they become capable of bringing a life into the world. There are other possible consequences as well, but, we can talk about that at another time. Anyway, to do so, they do…" and she showed Aelita a motion with her hands demonstrating what she was talking about. "And, they do that until they're done. That's about all I can tell you about it Aelita. I haven't done it myself. Sometimes it makes a baby. It's supposed to be a way of showing each other your feelings, but not everyone leaves it off at that." She cringed as she heard butchered versions of her mother's words coming out of her own mouth. "Anyway, my mom can tell you more about that than I can. I'm not saying everything right. It's usually a man and a woman, but not always. Anyway, like I said, tomorrow night we can go to my house and Mom can explain it better when she gets home from work. I'll just tell her they didn't tell you about it in the orphanage or something. She won't mind. Don't be surprised if she throws a lecture in with it though. I can hear bits of it starting to come out of my mouth, and other bits on the tip of my tongue just wanting to come out. But, I'm not very good at explaining stuff I haven't done. But, the bit you're asking about, I can explain that. I don't really understand how your body decides, it's just sometimes, it decides it wants to have sex. You shouldn't every time you want to, though, or else nothing would ever get done, and no one would ever be monogamous. Everyone would end up cheating on their boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife, or whatever. Most of the time, you just put up with it, and the feeling goes away. My guess, Odd was probably trying to deal with the same feelings you were. But that doesn't mean you should do anything about it! If Ulrich and I did something every time we get turned on by the other, we'd fuck like rabbits, and you'd never see us again." Yumi's eyes went wide, and she turned bright red. "No wait, that wouldn't happen. I, mean, uhh, no, we're just friends, of course. Nothing there between Ulrich and me, of course."

"Of course. So what do I do? I mean, I was so distracted today. I mean, part of it was being afraid that something was wrong with me, but, sometimes my mind would wander back to Odd's arms around me, and I'd have that feeling again. And what about Jeremie? We spend so much time together; everyone thinks we're going to wind up together. I can't have, these feelings about Odd, when I, when there's, well, Jeremie."

"Aelita, you're thirteen. You spent ten years in a void with no contact with another being other than monsters trying to kill you. And most of the time there wasn't even that. You said yourself you hardly ever left the tower. So, I'll let you in on a little secret. You will be aroused by other people throughout your life. Look at me, I can't decide between Ulrich and William. Plus, there are other guys I find attractive sometimes. Hell, sometimes I feel attracted to Odd, and we have very little in common and more than half the time he just annoys me. I even felt something being close to Jeremie a few times when I was sent back from Lyoko and it was just the two of us in front of the computer. And I have more of a chance winding up with Odd someday than I will ever have with Jeremie. You will find other boys attractive. It's fine. As long as you don't act on it. Besides, as you get older you won't be as likely to get aroused at the drop of a hat as you are now. Believe me. I talked to my mom about it. She told me that by the time she and my father got together, they had both calmed down, but she said she was always going crazy during school when she was about my age. Besides, people long ago learned how to deal with their arousal."

"What do you mean? You said you had to put up with it."

"Well, definitely you have to when you're around other people, but people have stuff they do when they are alone, that helps, get the pressure off."

"Will you show me, Yumi?"

Yumi's eyes got large and round, "Show you? It's personal. It's, it's something people do for themselves."

"But, how am I supposed to know what you mean, if you don't show me?"

"Odd, I'm going to kick your ass the next time I see you! Aelita, it's personal. What you enjoy is going to be different from what I enjoy, or what Sissy enjoys, or anyone else."

"What do you mean Yumi?"

"Okay." She took a deep breath. "You know those girly pink rainbow butterfly kitten girls you were talking about before?" Aelita nodded. "Before I met Ulrich, I used to hang out with a few. When we were kids, we did things like play ball and tag and jump rope and things like that along with the girly rainbow stuff. But, as we got a little older and started being more interested in boys and stuff, the fun stuff kind of got forgotten. It was all talking about boys and make up and stuff like that. Boring as hell. A little is fine. It's actually been nice having you around to talk about stuff like that with, but it was so much that I was going crazy. I stopped hanging out with them entirely a few weeks before I met Ulrich and the others. Those few weeks were pretty lonely, I'll tell you that. But, once, we talked about masturbation."

"What?"

"That's the term for, helping deal with your arousal on your own. Anyway, we talked about it in a totally hypothetical, 'hey, what is it?' 'well I heard it's this' kind of way. Nobody wanted to admit that they were talking about themselves and what they did, although, of course that's what it was. It's so personal that no one admits it. There's nothing wrong with it, and it's perfectly normal, and everyone does it, but no one talks about it."

"Why?"

"How should I know? I know I'm feeling pretty embarrassed right now. That must be why. The point of it is to figure out what you like, and do it until you're done."

"How do you know when you're done?"

"You know."

"How?"

"Believe me Aelita. You just do."

"Do boys do the same thing?"

"Well, kinda. It's different, 'cause they're shaped different, and they probably do it more, 'cause it's more obvious when they feel aroused than it is with girls."

"Why?"

"Indoor versus outdoor plumbing." Aelita's brow knotted in concentration and her head cocked slightly to the side in confusion. "Well, you know about the shapes, boys, well, they get bigger. And you can tell. With girls, everything's inside, so you can't tell. So guys try to make it go away faster. It'll go away on its own; it just takes a few minutes. It's weird, and it feels weird."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you know how I was inside Odd's body. It was still his body. So, it did stuff the way his body normally would. Ulrich and I were talking and, well, Ulrich affects me, so he affected Odd's body. And I did something about it. Yeah, I know, I know. It's kind of creepy when you think about the fact that I used Odd's body to masturbate about Ulrich, but I'm sure he did the same thing. I mean, who wouldn't? It's the kind of thing that only happens in some cheesy Sci-Fi show, or a comic book, or a cartoon, not in real life. I had to take that opportunity. I was just too curious. I'm sure he did the same thing. I mean, like I said, it's kind of creepy when you think about it, but, I did the same thing, so I really can't blame him. I never asked him, of course, because then I'd have to beat him up on principle, but I'm sure he did. Like I said though, it felt weird. It was intense, and my arm hurt afterward, and it was messy. It was exhausting, and the skin was raw after I was done. Like I said, it was just weird. I like it better with my own body. I'm sure he likes it better with his own body too. Plus, there's the added bonus of not being afraid of disappearing when I'm in my own body."

"Always good."

"Yup. Anyway, since I'm not Odd now, but me, I should just help you understand what girls feel. What girls like. A good idea is to just try different stuff until you figure out what you like. I can show you a few things, and then I'll leave you alone."

"You're not going to leave? How will I know when I'm done?"

"It's personal, Aelita. It's supposed to be done alone. And like I said, you'll know."

"Yumi, please stay."

"Odd, I'm definitely going to kill you. Slowly and painfully. I will make you suffer in ways you've never imagined. You will beg for mercy by the time I am through with you, but you know what, I'm not going to give it to you. Just wait." Yumi glowered as creative ways to make Odd pay flitted through her mind.

"Yumi?"

"Sorry," she shook her head to get the images out of her head and return her focus to the girl sitting in front of her. "I got a little carried away. I will make Odd pay for putting me through this, though."

"Do you not want to, Yumi? You don't have to help me if you don't want to."

"Aelita, none of us can deny you anything. You know that. I'm sure you've used it to your advantage at least a few times. No one can be as sweet and innocent as you make out to be. Of course I'm going to help you out. I'm just going to find a way to make Odd suffer because he put me in this position. Anyway, on to the lesson."

"Thank you Yumi."

"Creepy as hell. Odd, you will pay. Now, you would probably have figured this out eventually without me, but since I'm here, and you're going to be going to talk to my mom tomorrow anyway, I may as well help you out now. Firstly, this is an activity that is done when you are naked."

"Naked?"

"Yes, naked. It's normally done alone, but, since I'm here, you're going to do it right. Now, strip."

"Oh, uh, okay." Aelita stood up off of her bed and began removing her clothes. She took off her shirt, and reached back to unclasp her bra. Her eyes fell on Mr. Puck and she decided to turn him facing the wall, before resuming her task. She sat down and began removing her socks, followed soon by her pink jeans and finally her underwear. Despite the fact that her room was a comfortable temperature, she shivered and sat back down on the bed. Yumi had remained silent throughout this entire process.

"Odd, you will die. Okay, first, let me show you something that William has done to me a few times; that I think is fun as hell. Remember, I've never done this to anyone but me, so I have no idea how you will react, or even if I'm doing it right, since I can't feel what I'm doing. Some time when I'm not here you'll figure out what you want, and what you like. Now, I never let him look, but I let him do this. I only recently let him do it under my bra. It was a long time before I even let him do it under my shirt." Yumi reached up and gently caressed the smaller breasts of her pink haired friend. She made little circles around her nipples, and pinched them lightly. Aelita gasped at the sensation. "Nice, huh? I'll tell you, it feels weird to do it to someone other than myself. You're a little different than I am. Your breasts are smaller, and the bumps are in different places. Now, you try."

"Okay. Like this?" Aelita reached up to her own breasts and touched them in a way she had never done before, at least not that she remembered. She tried some of the things Yumi had done, such as circling her nipples with her fingers and squeezing lightly. Her eyes opened wider, before closing as she moaned. "My God!"

"Yeah, I know. Now, I'm going to show you a few different ways of continuing, and then I'm going to let you figure things out for your self from there, okay?" Aelita looked slightly concerned, but nodded. Yumi proceeded to touch parts of Aelita in various manners, trying to help her determine just what it was she enjoyed. Aelita's moans finally became a quiet cry as Yumi found a particular spot and technique that she greatly enjoyed. She stopped her ministrations and Aelita's eyes snapped open with a groan.

"Why'd you stop?"

"Because, now, you have to take over. This is about you discovering what you want, and I can't do that for you. I'm going to get out of here, and let you finish, okay?"

"No, Yumi! You promised! How will I know when I'm finished with whatever it is I'm supposed to finish? Please don't go."

"Odd, you will pay. Believe me, you just will. But, if you really want me to stay, I will."

"Thanks, Yumi." She reached over and gave the taller girl a hug, noticing how much different it felt to hug someone without a shirt in the way, and the way the fabric from Yumi's sweater played across her naked breasts. Leaning backwards, she tried mimicking Yumi's earlier movements. "It's odd, it feels kind of like I'm getting ready to deactivate a tower, but more intense."

"What do you mean?"

"I feel something after I enter a tower, and before it's deactivated. It's very pleasant. This is kind of like that, but, stronger." With that, she moaned, rested her back against her pillow, and spoke no more.

Listening to the smaller teen's moans and cries, Yumi felt a way she had not expected. Knowing Aelita was too wrapped up in her activities to notice much else, she began to perform similar actions on herself, her clothes ending up in a heap on the carpet next to the bed. Soon, the high pitched moans of two girls echoed off the walls.

With a final cry, Yumi finished, having long since discovered what she enjoyed and rarely feeling the desire to experiment. As such, she opened her eyes and watched Aelita as her speed increased and the pleasure mounted. At last, with a slightly primal groan, Aelita finished, and her breathing began to slow as her heart rate began to return to normal. She rested her head back on her pillow, with her eyes closed. Impulsively, Yumi leaned forward to kiss her still slightly opened mouth. She noticed how different it felt having her breasts rubbing up against another set of breasts instead of a flat chest. Yumi decided it wasn't unpleasant, just unfamiliar. Her tongue snuck inside the other's mouth and she kissed her fully before leaning back. Aelita's eyes had snapped open in shock at the initial contact, closed as the kiss continued, and opened again after it finished. "What was that for, Yumi?"

Yumi shrugged, "It seemed like the thing to do. You were enjoying yourself so much, I just wanted to. I don't know why."

"I liked it. That was fun, but, Yumi, I have a confession to make."

"What?"

"I remembered what to do. You're right, I did do that before I went to Lyoko, there just wasn't any need while I was there, and I had forgotten. But, almost immediately after you started touching me, I remembered. It just, felt nice, and I didn't want to stop. You have very nice hands. They're warm and have calluses in nice places, but they aren't scratchy. It, felt good, and I didn't want to stop. I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

"Sure, Princess. I forgive you. I probably would have done the same thing in your position. I even forgive Odd. But, I think I'll let him think I'm mad at him for a few days. Just for the hell of it. Do you still want to go talk to my mom tomorrow?"

"Yes, I think I should. I remember what my father told me, but I should still talk to her, in case I haven't remembered everything."

"Okay. Hey, I want to take a shower. Do you have any clothes I can borrow? Preferably not pink."

Aelita laughed, "Sure, I want to take a shower too. I have a grey sweatshirt and some denim shorts that you can borrow. The shorts may be a little tight, and kind of short on you."

"That's okay, just as long as I can get them on. Hey do you have any pop, or juice of some kind?"

"Sure. Why?"

"Because, I want a good excuse for my parents why I'm not wearing the same clothes I left the house in this morning. I figure, I spill something on them, and that works. My clothes are kind of sweaty and messy; I really don't want to put them back on after taking a shower."

"It's okay."

"Here, Yumi. Here's a clean towel, and some soap and shampoo." Yumi sniffed the shampoo and cringed slightly. It smelled like fruit. She hated smelly stuff. She was never one for scented things. She used unscented deodorant, her own detergent since her mother had taken to buying some with a lavender scent, and scent free soap. She had finally picked out a brand of unscented hand lotion, and didn't know what she would do if the stores decided to stop selling it. She rarely even wore perfume. Mostly just at times of the month in which she was trying to cover up the scent of blood. She shrugged, and wrapped the towel around herself.

Aelita did the same, getting things together for her own shower. As Yumi walked towards the door, she put her hand on her wrist to stop her from turning the knob. Yumi turned to look at Aelita with a confused look on her face, and Aelita kissed her, one last time. Yumi's eyes opened wide, and Aelita giggled. "This was fun. Maybe we could do it again sometime?" She blushed and ran out the door before Yumi could answer. Blushing herself, Yumi shook her head and entered the hallway, pulling the door closed behind her.

After finishing her shower, Yumi returned to Aelita's room to get dressed. She was just finishing pulling her freshly brushed, sopping wet hair into a ponytail when Aelita returned from her own shower. She walked over to her dresser and searched for an outfit to wear. Yumi's eyes turned to her phone which was vibrating on the desk. She walked over to answer it, hearing Jeremie shouting something before she even had a chance to utter a greeting.

"Yumi! Thank God! I tried your phone about five minutes ago, and Aelita's a few minutes before that! XANA's launched an attack! You and Aelita need to get over to the factory, now! Do you know where she is?"

"Yes, Jeremie, she's here with me. We'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay! Just hurry up! Ulrich and Odd are already on their way there." With that he hung up, not even bothering to say good – bye.

"Guess it's time to face the real world again, huh, Aelita?"

"I guess so. I'll be ready in a moment." Aelita was pulling on her undergarments, and had piled on her chair a pink t – shirt with a dragon on the front and a pair of blue jeans. Pink socks and tennis shoes completed the ensemble. Yumi was wearing a pair of Aelita's denim shorts, a bit more snug than she would have liked, that came up to about mid – thigh on her, a pink undershirt, and a grey sweatshirt with a large pink 'A' on the front, some of Aelita's undergarments, also pink, and a pair of white socks along with her black hiking boots. She thought she looked ridiculous. She had taken the time to 'accidentally' spill some juice on her clothes, and stuck them in a plastic bag and put them in her book bag along with her homework. With a few swift brushes of her hair, Aelita was ready. Yumi grabbed her things, and they raced out of the dorm room on their way to the factory.

--

"Okay, thanks Jeremie." Ulrich closed his phone and stuck it back in his pocket before kicking to speed up on his skateboard, as he had slowed down while speaking to Jeremie. "Jeremie finally got a hold of the girls, they're on their way."

Odd looked over as his friend caught up with him, "That's good. Hey, Ulrich? Can I ask you something? Before we get to the factory?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Well, uhh," Odd reached back and rubbed the back of his head, before looking back at his friend, "You know, I really didn't give Yumi any kind of warning about what Aelita wanted to talk to her about. Umm, if she's mad, do you think maybe you and me can go to Lyoko first, and you can kind of hang around me while we're there, and for the next few days, until she calms down a bit? You know, kind of protect me from her? She can be pretty mean when she's mad."

"Hmm, I should say no. It could be pretty funny when she catches you. But, alright, I'll protect you from the great and powerful Yumi."

Odd affected a cheesy falsetto and batted his eyelashes. "My hero! My knight in shining armor." His voice returned to normal. "You're gonna rub my face in this, aren't you?"

"Definitely. Anyway, we can talk about this later." They had reached the room where the Supercomputer was. "Hey, Einstein, how far away are the girls?"

"They just reached the manhole cover. They should be here in a few minutes."

"So, what's going on?"

"I haven't detected any effects at the school yet, but I was running a scan and found an activated tower. If we can deactivate it now, we won't have to do a return to the past."

"That's good. Today is not a day I want to repeat Einstein."

"Why Odd?"

He set Kiwi down and Kiwi ran over to Jeremie, yipping and demanding attention, "Well, for one thing, my painting's almost dry. I don't want to have to do it again. It won't be the same the second time around. And neither will Aelita's drawing. Plus, it's been a very emotional day."

"Why?"

"It just has. Plus, Princess is all excited about having her first detention tomorrow. Do you really want to mess that up for her?"

"Aelita's excited about detention? Why?"

"How should I know, Ulrich? She said she never had one before. Maybe she wants to be a bad girl for a change."

"Finally, I don't know how much longer I could have put up with these two idiots." Jeremie turned in his chair to where Aelita and Yumi had just come in, and his eyes opened wide.

"Hey!" He shouted in his and Odd's defense. Ulrich turned to look at the two and his eyes widened slightly before returning to their normal shape. "Hey, Yumi. Hey Princess. I like your shirt, Aelita. Where'd you get it?"

Aelita blushed and looked down, "The last time Odd and I went shopping for clothes I found it. I liked it."

"It looks like it shrank Princess, what happened?"

Aelita looked back at her shirt. It was more snug than most of her clothes, and showed off her shape, and the bottom came to just above the waistline of her jeans, showing off a bit of her stomach. "I dried it too hot and it ended up like this." She blushed a little at the look Ulrich was giving her and turned to look at Yumi, who was glowering in unconcealed jealousy.

Noticing Yumi's mood, and deciding to change the subject, Odd asked "So Yumi, what happened to you guys? You both look like you just came out of the shower. You're dripping wet, and I know those aren't your clothes."

Yumi turned a bright scarlet before turning to glare at Odd. Aelita also blushed, before stammering, "Well, uhh, Yumi and I were talking and uhh, we got thirsty. So we went to the cafeteria and got a couple of cans of grape juice, and we must have shook them up, because they exploded all over us, so we had to take a shower to get cleaned up, and so Yumi borrowed some of my clothes."

"Great, now that that's cleared up, can we please focus on something important, like deactivating the tower?!" Jeremie yelled.

"Sure thing, Einstein, we're going. Breathe; you're going to give yourself a heart attack. Hey, Ulrich? You want to go to Lyoko with me first? Check things out before the girls get there?"

Ulrich looked over from where he had still been staring at Aelita to see the look on Yumi's face. He knew that look. "Sure thing Odd. Let's get down there."

The four piled into the elevator with Yumi standing by Ulrich. Aelita was next to Yumi with Odd on the other side of her. "So, how are you feeling Princess?"

"Oh much better now, Odd. You were right to have me talk to Yumi. Thank you." She gave him a hug before backing away, blushing.

The four had reached the scanners. Odd and Ulrich each stepped into one while Aelita and Yumi waited their turn. Jeremie's voice came from above, "Transfer Odd. Transfer Ulrich. Scanner Odd. Scanner Ulrich. Virtualization."

Ulrich and Odd materialized and landed in the mountain sector, and looked around. Ulrich called out, "Hey, Jeremie. I don't see anything yet. Odd and I are gonna go have a look around."

"Okay, Ulrich. I'm sending the girls."

As they ran off, looking for various monsters, Ulrich looked over at his friend, "Hey Odd, umm. Grape juice can't explode. There isn't any carbonation."

"I know."

"So what do you think happened?"

Odd chuckled and noticed a Krab over his friend's shoulder, "Laser arrow!" He grinned as it hit its target and the creature exploded, "Man, I am not even going to ask."

--

The five teenagers were running through the woods, with a little dog in tow, congratulating each other on a job well done. Yumi reached the place where she needed to break off from the group and began turning towards town. "Wait, Yumi! I'll come with you!" Aelita shouted and looked over at the boys who did so much to protect her on a daily basis. "I'll see you tomorrow!" and began following her raven haired friend.

"Aelita!" Jeremie hollered after her. Without stopping, Aelita just turned around, waved, and continued on with Yumi. Quietly, so only Odd and Ulrich could hear him, Jeremie continued, "Do you want me to go with you so you don't have to walk back to school by yourself?" Jeremie looked ready to cry.

"Don't worry about her, Jeremie. She'll be fine. You can ask her on a date tomorrow." Ulrich wrapped his arm around Jeremie's neck. Jeremie blushed.

"Yeah, Einstein. She lived alone on a virtual world for ten years. I'm sure she can handle walking back from the Ishiyama's to campus on her own. It's not even that late yet." He wrapped an arm around Jeremie's waist for a moment before putting both arms behind his head and slowing to a walk. The three boys walked back to campus at a slow pace in companionable silence, save for an excitable dog which ran between their legs, tongue lolling out and barking. It was not ready to go back to be cooped up in its drawer again. As they neared the gates of school, Odd stopped and picked up his dog, stashing him back in his backpack before resuming his walk to the dorms. "Let me go put Kiwi back, and we can go see if there's any dinner left. Okay? Food'll make you feel better, Jeremie. And like Ulrich said, you can ask Aelita out tomorrow."

"Okay, you're right. I'm just going to head into the cafeteria. I'll see you two in a minute." With a sigh, he pushed his glasses further up on his nose, and turned in the direction of the cafeteria. Ulrich and Odd walked together toward their room.

--

"So, that was a nice shirt Aelita was wearing, wasn't it?" Ulrich asked.

Odd glanced over at his friend, noticing a blush on his cheeks. He snorted at his friend and shook his head. "What's this? One woman guy, Ulrich, taking notice of another girl other than his precious Yumi? Are you sick?"

"I notice other girls! I just never really paid Aelita any attention until you said something. Like you said, she was 'Jeremie's girl' or if not his, your girl. And she did look hot, out of breath, with a tight shirt and wet shoulders. I wanted to go over there and smooth down her fly aways." He stopped and blinked. "Did something so lame just come out of my mouth?"

"Yup. I told you good buddy." He wrapped an arm around his friend's neck. "Girls mess with your mind. They make you do stupid stuff, and think even stupider stuff. My little Ulrich, finally growing up." With that he playfully pinched his friend's cheek, laughing.

"Hey!" Ulrich playfully shoved Odd away. "God, Yumi smelled good. She normally doesn't wear any perfume or anything, but she smelled … fruity today. I almost groaned when she stood next to me in the elevator."

"I told you, man. On the way down, I was just next to Aelita, and that was bad enough, but on the way back, they were on either side of me. I was going crazy. Hey, do you think Yumi's really mad at me?"

"Probably not. I wouldn't be surprised if she lets you sweat for awhile, though. Glares at you. Cracks her knuckles. Makes little threats. She thinks it's funny. Don't let on that you know it's all an act though, or she really will pound you."

"Thanks Ulrich. You know her so well. I would have been scared out of my wits. Now, I can just have fun with it." They had reached their room. He walked in, unzipped his book bag and put Kiwi down on his bed. "Hey, buddy, we'll be back soon. I'll bring you back a treat for being so good today." He rubbed his dog's belly and Kiwi yipped in response. "My little Diggity Dog." He looked back at his friend and a wide smile broke on his face. "Let's go eat!"

Ulrich just shook his head, and closed the door behind them when Odd had reached the hallway.

--

"Yumi, wait up!" Aelita caught up to her friend and stopped, panting as her heart slowed to a normal rate. "You run so fast!"

"My legs are longer than yours. Besides, the sooner I get home, the sooner I can put on clothes that fit. And aren't pink. These shorts are so tight, they're starting to hurt."

"I think you look nice in something other than black for a change. Ulrich noticed too."

"Ulrich was too busy paying attention to your shirt to notice me."

Aelita blushed. "I'm sorry, Yumi. I didn't realize just how much this shirt had shrunk when I picked it out, and then we were in a hurry. Plus, I thought it might be fun to dress a bit more, what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Provocative?"

Aelita nodded slightly, "That works. A bit more, provocatively, than I normally do. Maybe I was still a bit excited from the first orgasm I had had in over a decade."

"Wow, a decade. Sometimes, it just amazes me the things you have gone through in your life, Aelita."

"I wasn't trying to do anything to Ulrich, I swear."

"It's okay. So, have you decided what you're going to do?"

"Do?"

"About Odd and Jeremie." Silently, without really intending to do so, she added 'me?' "Do you know who or what you want?"

"Honestly, Yumi. I have no idea. I like them both, in their own ways. I really don't want to be tied down to anyone right now either. I just want to have fun, and learn more about this world, and myself before I make any kinds of decisions. Besides, if something did happen with one of them, and it didn't work out, it would change everything. I don't really want that."

"I understand."

"That's why you and Ulrich are 'just good friends?'"

"That and I don't really want a relationship until this whole mess with XANA is over and done with. It's just too much. What if something happens to one or the other of us? It'd be hard enough the way things are now, but if things were more serious? It'd be unbearable. Plus, there's William. Ulrich still doesn't know how much we hang out, and how much he really likes me. I can't decide between the two of them. So, it looks like we're two peas in a pod."

"What?"

"Never mind. It's just an expression. This is my street. Do you want to just head back to school? I don't really need an escort. Or, I guess, you could have dinner with us, if you want." Yumi blushed slightly and pushed a few strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear.

"I'd like that. Your little brother is funny." Yumi nodded, and began to turn on her street.

"Yumi, wait!" She grabbed the taller girl's hand and turned her to face her. She stood on her tip toes and pressed her lips to the other girl's quickly, before returning to her normal standing position. Blushing slightly, she said, "Thank you, for everything. For helping me through my confusion, for helping me out on Lyoko, for giving me someone to talk to, everything."

Yumi blushed a bit, "Anytime."

The two girls continued on their path to Yumi's house.

--

"Hey guys." Yumi walked up to the bench where she and her friends normally hung out during breaks and before school. "So, we're finally going to see Odd's painting?"

"Yes. I can't wait. It's so nice having something up on my walls, and I look forward to having more. So how are you Yumi?"

"I'm alright." She blushed a bit. "Hey, Aelita, I talked to my mom last night after you left, and she told me this morning that it was okay. She's going to try to get off work early, and hinted there might even be cookies and ice cream coming home with her."

"Great! Thanks Yumi!"

"What's that all about, Aelita?"

"That's none of your business, Jeremie. That's between me and Aelita."

Jeremie looked away. "Jeremie, it's okay. It's just something between Yumi and me."

"Hey, Einstein, you can ask her out tomorrow. Let her have some more 'girl time!'" Four heads turned around at the newcomer, and a pink haired girl jumped up to hug him.

"Odd!"

"Hey Princess. Really excited about your present, I see. Okay, Okay. I'll give it to you now. That way you can go put it in your room and we can go eat!"

"Do you think of anything besides food Odd?"

"I sure do, Ulrich! I think about girls!" His friends chuckled, and shook their heads at their purple clad friend. "Here you go!"

Aelita took the offered package. Odd had wrapped it in a light brown paper, which he had wrapped lavender and pink ribbons around two of the corners and they had been tied together to make an elaborate bow. Carefully, Aelita removed the ribbon and set it to the side and turned the package over so she could pull the paper apart. She set the paper to the side and turned the painting over and broke into a wide grin. It was a painting of Aelita, in the art room. She was standing under a skylight, with the sun shining down on her. She was wearing an apron, with colored chalk splotched on it. She had a splotch of grey colored chalk on her left cheek below her eye, and purple finger prints stretched across her midsection. The apron had shortened her dress, slightly, just short enough that the tip of her band aid was showing. There was a canvas slightly to the side of her, and the easel it was sitting on was facing out, so it was impossible to see what she was making. On the ground, around her were a few other paintings. Slightly turned to the side and out of focus. One looked like an elf with a grey hat, and another looked like a blonde haired boy with glasses and a blue turtleneck. Across from the blue shirted boy, slightly more prominent than the other two, was a purple feline. It looked like a large jungle cat. Behind her were various art room odds and ends, unfinished paintings slightly out of focus, in several different styles indicating that they had been created by various artists. There were shelves with various art supplies, and in the corner, a window with a tree visible and some sort of red bird perched on the windowsill with an out of focus squirrel running along the branches. In Aelita's mind, it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. With tears in her eyes, she set the painting down carefully next to her and ran behind the bench, to where the artist was standing, waiting to see what she thought. "Odd! Thank you! It's beautiful!" She was crying freely, and hugged him so tightly he thought his ribs might crack.

"So, I take it you like it then?" She leaned back slightly, unwilling to let go of her hold on him, smiled, and nodded. She returned her head to his shoulder. "I'm glad." He chuckled at the look on Ulrich's face and kissed her on the forehead. "Why don't you go hang it up in your room, and we'll meet you in the cafeteria, okay?"

She nodded, handed Jeremie her book bag, and picked up the painting, the ribbons, and the paper. She raced back to her room to hang it up on the wall.

"That was a really nice painting Odd. I can tell she appreciates it," Yumi said, smiling slightly as she watched the other girl run. "You're still not off the hook for what you put me through yesterday though." With that, she looked at Odd and cracked her knuckles.

Odd looked at Yumi, made an audible gulp, and yelled, "Gotta go!" running off the cafeteria to get his breakfast, Ulrich following close behind him.

Yumi shook her head as she watched the pair run away, smiling and chuckling, and slowly followed them with Jeremie next to her. "So what did happen yesterday, Yumi?"

"Never mind, Jeremie. Never mind."

--Owari--


End file.
